Musculocutaneous nerve

Last revised by Craig Hacking on 2 Feb 2022

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Knipe H, Hacking C, Robertson S, et al. Musculocutaneous nerve. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 09 Dec 2023) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-24693

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-24693

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/24693

rID:

24693

Article created:

5 Sep 2013, Henry Knipe ◉ ◈

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Henry Knipe had no recorded disclosures.

View Henry Knipe's current disclosures

Last revised:

2 Feb 2022, Craig Hacking ◉ ◈

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.

View Craig Hacking's current disclosures

Revisions:

12 times, by 8 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Musculoskeletal

Sections:

Anatomy

Tags:

refs, cases, nerve

The musculocutaneous nerve is one of five major branches of the brachial plexus and supplies motor innervation to the arm and sensory innervation to the forearm.

Gross anatomy

Origin

The musculocutaneous nerve is one of two terminal branches of the lateral cord of the brachial plexus (along with the lateral root of the median nerve). It receives fibers from the C5-7 nerve roots.

Course

In the axilla, the musculocutaneous nerve courses laterally away from the axillary artery, pierces (and supplies) the coracobrachialis muscle and descends towards the elbow between biceps brachii and brachialis muscles.

In the cubital fossa, it courses lateral to the biceps tendon as the lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm, which is simply the sensory continuation of the musculocutaneous nerve after it has distributed all its motor fibers in the anterior compartment of the arm.

Branches and supply

muscular branches: anterior compartment of the arm (coracobrachialis, biceps brachii and brachialis muscles)
articular branches: shoulder and elbow joints
lateral cutaneous: lateral aspect of the forearm